Joint seal



April 19, 1966 J c. s. GINDER JOINT SEAL Filed Feb. 25, 1963 INVENTORA aomv c. s. G/NDERJ Mxg Attorney United States Patent 3,246,434 JOINT SEAL John C. S. Ginder, Poland Village, Ohio, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,744 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-169) This invention relates to an improved seal for a joint at the bottom of a chamber.

Although my invention is not thus limited, the seal is particularly useful as a means for repairing leaks around the bottom of a large structure like a blast furnace stove. The usual procedure for repairing a leak at the bottom of a blast furnace stove involves excavating under the stove and welding any cracks found in the metal plates. When leaks are extensive or located near the supporting columns, excavating endangers the stability of the stove lining.

Furthermore it is not always possible to close all cracks by welding. Nevertheless it is apparent the seal of my invention has other applications, not necessarily in repair work.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved seal which overcomes any need for excavating under a structure, yet effectively prevents leakage around the bottom thereof.

A further object is to provide an improved seal which accomplishes these purposes, and also allows limited relative movement of the structure, such as that caused by thermal expansion and contraction.

In the drawing:

The single figure is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a blast furnace stove which has a seal constructed in accordance with my invention.

The figure shows a portion of a stove which includes a cylindrical shell formed of metal plates, a metal bottom plate 12, and inner and outer angle irons 13 and 14 joining the plates of the shell to the bottom plate. The stove of course has the usual lining, checkerwork, supporting columns, and othher conventional parts, which are not shown since they are not involved in the present invention. Before constructing a seal according to the invention, I dig a shallow trench 15 in the ground around the circumference of the stove immediately outside the bottom plate 12. Conveniently the trench can be about 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep. I cover the outer angle iron 14 and the adjacent portion of shell 10 with a mastic layer 16. In the midportion of trench 15 I insert a vertical plate 17, which is concentric with shell 10 and at its lower portion carries a plurality of circumferenti-ally spaced radially extending concrete reinforcing bars 18. I embed the lower portion of plate 17 in a body of concrete 19, which fills trench 15 and extends upwardly inside plate 17 over the inner angle iron 14 over the mastic layer 16. I weld a downwardly extending angle iron 20 and a plurality of reinforcing gussets 21 to the outside face of shell 10 above the concrete. The vertical leg of the angle iron is spaced from the outside face of the shell. I weld a continuous horizontal bar or ledge 22 to the inside face of plate 17, and a series of spaced brackets 23 to the outside face thereof. I insert a packing ring 24 of asbestos rope or equivalent in the space between plate 17 and the vertical leg of angle iron 20 above ledge 22. I bolt a gland or follower 25 to brackets 23. The gland has a vertical flange which fits between the vertical leg of angle iron 20 and plate 17 and compresses the packing 24 against the ledge 22. The compressed packing, in conjunction with the welded joint between the angle iron and shell, furnishes a gas-tight seal.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the pres ent invention affords a seal of simple construction which 3,246,434 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 effectively prevents leakage at the joint around the bottom of a large chamber. There is no rigid connection between the fixed parts of the seal and the chamber, but instead the mastic and the packing ring allow relative movement needed for thermal expansion and contraction. The packing ring is readily accessible for maintenance. When the seal is used to repair leaks in an existing structure, there is no need to excavate under the confines of the structure as might weaken it.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a structure which includes a vertical wall and a bottom wall having a joint therebetween and resting on ground, the combination therewith of a seal for said joint comprising an upright plate spaced from said vertical wall, a body of concrete in the ground adjacent said vertical wall outside said bottom wall embedding the lower portion of said plate and filling a portion of the space between said plate and said vertical wall, a support fixed to the outside of said vertical wall above said concrete body, and having a vertical leg spaced from said vertical wall, a ledge formed on the inside of said plate adjacent said vertical leg, packing inserted in the space between said vertical leg and said plate above said ledge, and a gland bolted to said plate and having a vertical flange which fits between said vertical leg and said plate and compresses said packing against said ledge to furnish a gastight seal.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 including a mastic layer between said concrete body and said vertical wall to permit limited relative movement therebetween for thermal expansion and contraction.

3. In a blast furnace stove which includes a vertical cylindrical shell and a bottom wall having a joint therebetween and resting on ground, the combination therewith of a seal for said joint comprising an upright plate spaced outside said shell and concentric therewith, a body of concrete in the ground adjacent said shell outside said bottom wall embedding the lower portion of said plate and filling a portion of the space between said shell and said plate, an angle iron fixed to the outside of said shell above said concrete body and having a vertical leg spaced from said shell, a ledge formed on the inside of said plate adjacent said vertical leg, a packing ring inserted in the space between said vertical leg and said plate above said ledge, and a gland bolted to said plate and having a vertical flange which fits between said vertical leg and said plate and compresses said ring against said ledge to furnish a gastight seal.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 including a mastic layer between said concrete body and said shell to permit limited relative movement therebetween for thermal expansion and contraction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 12,337 4/1905 Lutz 285-356 987,098 3/1921 Scott 277- 1,400,251 12/ 1921 Van Cott 52-152 1,925,406 9/1933 Shaffer 285-356 1,980,451 11/1934 Taylor 285-356 2,169,966 8/1939 Pfanstiehl 266-5 3,006,626 10/1961 LeJeck et al 263-19 3,006,626 10/ 1961 Le Jeck et al 263-19 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Examiner. 

1. IN A STRUCTURE WHICH INCLUDES A VERTICAL WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL HAVING A JOINT THEREBETWEEN AND RESTING ON GROUND, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A SEAL FOR SAID JOINT COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT PLATE SPACED FROM SID VERTICAL WALL, A BODY OF CONCRETE IN THE GROUND ADJACENT SAID VERTICAL WALL OUTSIDE SAID BOTTOM WALL EMBEDDING THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID PLATE AND FILLING A PORTION OF THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID VERTICAL WALL, A SUPPORT FIXED TO THE OUTSIDE OF SAID VERTICAL WALL ABOVE SAID CONCRETE BODY, 